Somewhere in Brooklyn
by KodiakProphet
Summary: I don't think the summary really matters. It's a drabble.


(Somewhere in Brooklyn)

"I always had a thought," she smiled to herself, "It might have been you all along."

"Me?" he chuckled, "No, I'm not sure it seemed that way from the start."

They were standing on Brooklyn Bridge, leaning on the railings as the sun finally peeked out from its cloud cover. The morning haze had worn off somehow and the industrial smog was replaced with a tangy sea spray. It was different across the pond, hopefully for the better as nothing had yet tried to kill the two.

It was difficult to tell who was tenser. Harry shifted his feet uncomfortably and his shoulders were bunched up like he was trying to hunker down, like he was waiting for a bomb to go off. Hermione faced the opposite way, leaning on the railway for support with her arms crossed and her eyes skyward. She tossed a sidelong glance at her traveling companion.

He keeps forgetting to brush his hair, she thought to herself. It was only after he returned the glance she'd realized a smile had crawled onto her lips. She swallowed and shifted her gaze away and down to her shoes.

Harry, on the other hand, refused to tear his gaze away. He tried to imagine the little girl he first came to Hogwarts with, he tried so desperately to remember what gravitated them together. He couldn't figure it out. The young woman he saw before him was unlike anything anyone would have expected. She was resourceful, kind, and brave. Intelligent kinda went without saying, in Harry's opinion.

"Harry," she snapped, "Please stop that."

He blinked and felt the blood rush to cheeks. Hermione had to avert her eyes. It was endearing if not a tad creepy. She hated having attention that wasn't academically centered. What was the point after all? It seemed that people these days had to rush and label and lump other people. She didn't see Harry straighten, nor did she him close the distance so quickly.

The shock hit her as she was embraced. The whole morning had been chilly and nipped at her face but suddenly it melted away. A warm rush, hormones she assumed, tickled her bones. She refused to acknowledge it. It was just stress relief chemicals flooding her system after being triggered by a comforting response. Love was just a chemical addiction: dopamine was as bad as hydrocodine. But damn it felt so good.

Harry's left was wrapped around her lower back and his right was around her shoulders. He thought she smelled wonderful, like books and flowers and wet cobblestone after a rainstorm. That wasn't too weird, was it? He thought desperately.

Hermione let out a silent sigh and let her arms wrap around his body. It just felt right. Stupid hormones. So much stress and pain, every moment that haunted her, it exploded out like a bursting floodgate. Her knees went weak and her eyes watered; she held on for dear life.

He felt a tremendous shame wash over him as she sagged in his arms. Seven years and not once had he seriously checked up on her. Thick and thin, from the train ride to the final battle. The one person he could actually count on and she was breaking apart behind the scenes. He was about to cry himself when a peculiar sound stopped him in his tracks.

It started like a low hum, then a snicker, then a coughing laugh, and finally full blown fits of giggling and snorts. The best part of it all was her smile. Powers that be, Harry prayed, I want to see that smile every day from now on.

"What's so funny?" Harry found the smiling infectious.

"I'm in a strange country, with a strange boy, on a strange trip." Hermione laughed, "I'm happy that it's with you."

"Hermione Granger," he teased, "happy after being thrust into an adventure with no plans and no idea what comes next? What's happened to you?"

"A very charismatic and dangerous boy," she laughed and buried her face in his coat. He smelled like coffee and snow. "He cares about me than I realized."

"I very much do," he assured her.

Reluctantly, Hermione pulled herself away and looked into his Harry's eyes. They moved ever closer at the pace of eternity.

"Just kiss her already you British twat!"

"When in Rome," Harry chuckled.

"Do as the Romans," Hermione finished.

It was gentle and it was awkward but in Harry's a opinion, it was a good starting kiss.

"Get her Harry!"

Harry turned slowly. "I knew I recognized that voice."

"Hello old chap!" a black haired, green eye boy grinned.

"Di Immortals," a blonde girls growled, "Stop it, that accent is annoying."

"So," the green eyed boy continued, "Are you and your girlfriend ready for our adventure?"

Harry glanced at Hermione. "I reckon we are."


End file.
